08/11/08
Press Release
Orange County Transit Authority Approves Three-Year Contract Extension with Veolia Transportation
Passenger Growth & Improved Service Precipitate New Contract Scope Chicago, IL – Veolia Transportation’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Michael Griffus, announced that the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) approved a three-year contract extension with the company. The OCTA paratransit service and contract is one of the largest in the U.S. The contract extension, which takes effect July 1, 2009, will change the scope of services covered under the agreement between the parties by expanding the ACCESS Paratransit service to OCTA’s Construction Circle maintenance and operations facility while continuing fixed route bus services out of the Sand Canyon Road facility. Fixed route service will be put out under a new procurement in July of next year. The contract extension and enhancements were designed to address the growth that the paratransit system is experiencing, and to acknowledge the industry-leading service that Veolia is providing. Veolia Transportation was originally awarded the contract in early 2006 in a competitive bid process. Despite some service challenges during the start-up phase, Veolia has significantly improved the service and since the end of the first year of the contract, ontime performance has been 94%, one of the highest levels in the nation. Strong community support for the service provided by Veolia was a factor in the decision to extend the contract. Mark Joseph, Veolia Transportation’s Vice Chairman and CEO added, “We made a substantial financial investment here in Orange County, while we worked to improve our service to its current high levels. We did so because we are the kind of company that keeps its promises. This contract extension is testimony to the fact that our efforts are appreciated by the OCTA staff and its Board of Directors, as well as the disabled community. We are 100% committed to continuing our strong performance here.” Veolia’s President and COO, Mike Griffus agreed, saying, “Our entire management team, local and national, mobilized to keep our promises to OCTA. We turned around our performance from a rough start up, to achieve service levels that are literally the best in the business. What we did here shows our commitment to staying with clients even through tough times; a core value for Veolia.”
About Veolia Veolia Transportation is the largest private operator of bus, rail, paratransit, shuttle and taxi businesses in North America. The company has over 16,000 employees and operates some 200 contracts for cities in the U.S. The company has over 150 years of operating experience and also owns SuperShuttle, America's leading airport shuttle service, and a number of taxi operations. Veolia Transportation is part of Veolia Transport, the world's largest private operator of multiple modes of public transit, including bus, rail, paratransit, shuttle, ferry, and taxi services. Veolia Transport operates contracts for 5,000 city transit authorities in 27 countries, and transports 2.5 billion passengers per year. The Company operates some of the most sophisticated networks in the world, including Stockholm, Melbourne, Bordeaux, Rouen, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver and San Diego. (http://www.veoliatransport.com/en/) Veolia Transport is a division of Veolia Environnement, a world leader in environmental services. The company provides tailored solutions for municipal and industrial clients in four complementary segments in 62 countries: water management, waste management, energy management, and freight and passenger transportation. (www.veolia.com) (Paris Euronext:VIA and NYSE: VE) Contact: Valerie Michael, Director of Corporate Communications, 702.425.8419 valerie.michael@veoliatransportation.com